Moab UMTRA Site Transfer Mandated to Grand County: Land Sale Permanently Barred

The “Moab UMTRA Project Transition Act of 2025” is basically the federal government finalizing the paperwork for a massive, high-stakes land transfer in Utah. This bill mandates that once the Department of Energy’s Secretary decides the cleanup of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) site is “substantially complete,” the land must be transferred to Grand County, Utah, for free.

The Cleanup Catch: What ‘Substantially Complete’ Really Means

This isn't just a simple land donation; it’s a controlled handover of a former nuclear cleanup site. The bill is clear that the transfer must happen, but it hinges entirely on the Secretary of Energy’s determination that the cleanup is “substantially complete” (SEC. 2). That phrase, “substantially complete,” is the first potential sticking point. It’s a judgment call, and the bill doesn't define the exact metrics. For residents and environmental watchdogs, this means keeping an eye on the DOE’s timeline. If the site is transferred too early, Grand County could inherit long-term monitoring headaches that the federal government should still be managing.

Water Rights and the Long-Term Lease

Even after the land changes hands, the federal government isn't totally walking away. The DOE must retain any water rights necessary to continue its cleanup duties under the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act (SEC. 2). This is critical because groundwater cleanup often takes decades longer than surface remediation. The bill ensures the government keeps access to wells and the small surface areas around them if groundwater work is still ongoing. Think of it as a permanent environmental easement—the county gets the land, but the DOE keeps the keys to the water system to finish the job.

Grand County’s New Land, With Strings Attached

This land transfer comes with a major, permanent restriction that affects Grand County’s economic future. The transfer agreement must include a rule that permanently stops the County from selling or giving any part of that land to a private company or a nonprofit organization (SEC. 2). This means the county cannot use the land for private development, sell it to raise local revenue, or even donate it to a conservation trust. It must remain in county hands forever. While this prevents potential profiteering on remediated federal land, it also severely limits the county’s flexibility to use the land to generate tax revenue or spur local economic activity.

Finally, the Secretary of Energy gets to add any other terms or conditions they deem necessary to protect the government's interests (SEC. 2). This gives the DOE broad discretionary power to set the final rules of the transfer, adding another layer of federal control over the local government's use of the site, even after the deed is signed.